Automatic signal for electric railways.



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No. 739,057.v

l .AUToI/IATIC SIGNAL TCR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20. 190s.

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No. 739,057.A

V PATLNTLD SEPT. vL5, 1903 o. B. CAMPBELL.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR-ELECTRIC RAILWAYSl APPLIoATIoN FILED JAN., 2o. 190s. No MODEL.

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No. 739,057. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

I C. B. CAMPBELL. AUTOMATIC SIGNAL POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2o. 190s. l No MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET s.

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AUToMATm SIGNAL Pon, mmm RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED, JgAlI., 20, 1903. N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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No. 739,057.' PATENTED, SEPT. l5, 1903.,

C. B. CAMPBELL. AU'IOMATICl SIGNAL POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. zo. 1903.

No MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B.'CAMPBELL,OF WATERLOO, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STORM RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF WATERLOO, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 739,057, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed January 20, 1903. Serial No. 139,752. (No model.) I

` a resident of .Waterloo, Blackhawk county,

Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Signals for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic signals for electric railways; and the objects of my improvement are to provide a mechanism which may be used and adapted as desired as a signal-alarm on street-crossings or as a block-signal on single-track electrically-operated railways, and especially to l improve the mechanism shown and described in Patent No. 674,523, issued to Charles I-I. Storm May 2l, 1901. These objects I attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation of my improved make-and-break switch. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my electrically-operated semaphore and signal-lamp. Fig. t is a front elevation of the setting and releasing solenoids and of the electromagnetically controlled signal gong with their connections. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the wiring of my automatic signal when placed and used especially as an alarmsignal for street-crossings. Fig. 6 is a diagram of the wiring whenv my invention is adapted for use as a block-signal for singletrack electrically-operated railways, and Fig. 7 is a detail view giving an end elevation of the swinging contact-block of my said makeand-break switch.

Similar characters of reference represent similar parts throughout the several views.

In my improved signaling system I have dissociated the setting and releasing solenoids from the make-and-break switch, suspending the latter on its base-plate a directly over the trolley-wire 4:3,while I have housed said solenoids in a protective case 29, placed at one side of the track. In the mak'e-and-break V switch the base-plate ais provided with bearings r Afor the reception of the pivots p of the swinging contact-block 0. The ends of the block o are forked and contain, respectively, the antifriction-rollers m and n, whose peripheries project a short distance above the .an insulating-block 9.

- contact-surface of the block., This contact-v surface is curved sufliciently so as to move easily and with the minimum of friction under the Weight g.

q is a pendant of the block 0, extending downward and slotted so as to swing astride of the trolley-wire 43. Each side of the swing- Iolock o carries, respectively, the arms h and 1l, the latter bearingthe outwardly-extending antifriction contact-rollers k and Z. Springterminals s and t are clasped at one end respectively to the insulating-blocks u and o by means of the bolted plates w and y. The free ends of these terminalsare curved upwardly in such a manner that they may be contacted by the rollers 7c and Z, respectively,

when the pendant q is contacted by a trolleywheel e, moving in either direction, as is indicated by the dotted lines shown in Fig. 1. I have provided means for keeping the pendant q in a vertical position and its arms h and 1J free from contact with the terminals s and t, respectively, by placing a vertically-movable weight g so as to rest upon the upper attenedsurface of the swing-block o. The Weight g is carried by uprights d and e, which move vertically in bearings in the arched frame b. A cross-piece f connects together the upper ends of the'said uprights. The terminal s communicates with the setting-solenoid 2 by means of the conductor 37 and the terminal t communicates withV the releasingsolenoid l through the conductor 38. The solenoids l and 2 are furnished with movable cores 3 and et, respectively. A connectingrod 5, set within a bearing 6, is pivoted at either end to the upper ends of the movable cores 3 and 1, respectively. The vbearing 6, as well as the binding-post 8 and the outwardly-extending brush 7, are supported on A conductor 39 communicates between the trolley-wire 43 and the bearing-piece 6. A conductor 33 leads from the binding-post 8 to the signal-lamp 31.

on the semaphore 30 and a conductor 34 leads from said lamp to the electromagnet 22 and 2l, whence the current is grounded through the wire 35. The electromagnet 2l 22 has a fixed core 23 and vertically-movable armaturecore 24:. The standard 26 is pivotally mounted within the case 29 and has its short inner arm Weighted atv 27 and its longer outer arm IOO provided with a semaphore 30 and signallamp 31. The short arm of said standard 26 is provided with a branch 28, whose end is connected to the verticallymovable armature core 24 by means of a link 25. Shields 32 are provided to contain and conceal the semaphore 30 when it has dropped therein.

When my signal is adapted for use as a street-crossing alarm, I use in addition to the semaphore-signal a gong-alarm constructed as follows: The gong 2O is sounded by the tapper 19, whose stem 18 is connected to a pendent spring 17 and oscillates between the terminal 1G and the core 13 of the electromagnets 11 and 12. A conductor 40 leads from the binding-post 8 to the terminal 16. The spring 17 is pivoted in a support 15 and the end of its upper arm is contacted by a set-screw in the bracket 14. The bracket 14 is connected to the electromagnet 11 12, and a conductor 41 leads from the latter to the resistance 10 and the ground-Wire 42.

When my device is adapted to be used as a block-signal, the use of the gong-alarm is dispensed with.

When my device is adapted to be used as a street crossing alarm, the semaphore and gong-alarm are placed in any convenient location at t-he street-crossing, while the makeand-break switches are located a suitable distance apart over the line at either side of the crossing. The trolley-wheel s of a car approachingthe crossing displaces the pendant q to nearly a horizontal position, causing the roller 7c to pass over and contact with the upper surface of the terminals and lifting vertically the weight g. A circuit is then established from the trolley-wire 43 through the swing-block 0, its roller 7a, the terminal s, plate tv, conductor 37, setting-solenoid 2, and ground-wire 3b'. The movable core 4 is ,drawn down within the solenoid 2, causing the cross-bar 5 to contact with the brush 7, as is indicated by the dotted lines shown in Fig, 4. A circuit is thus established from the trolley-wire 43 through the conductor39, bearing-block 6, cross-bar 5, brush 7, conductor 33, lamp 31, conductor 34, electromagnets 22 and 21, and wire 35 to the ground. The movable core 24 is thus caused to be drawn down into the electromagnets, raising the semaphore 30 and exposing its illuminated lamp 31. At the same time a current is established from the binding-post 8 through the conductor 40 to the terminal 1G, thence through the spring 17, bracket 14 to the electromagnets 11 and l2, and through the conductor 41 to the resistance 10 and to the ground through the wire 42. The gong is thus sounded continuously and the semaphore and its signal-lamp keptexposed until a car has passed beneath the other makeand-break switch at the opposite side of the crossing. As the trolley-wheels moves aside the pendant q of the second switch a circuit is established from the trolley-wire 43 through the switch to the conductor 38, the releasingmagnet 1, and the wire 36 to the ground. The movable core 3 is thus drawn down into the solenoid 1, breaking the contact between the cross-bar 5 and the brush 7, thereby breaking the circuit to the lamp 3l, extinguishing it and denergizing the electromagnets 21 22, causing the semaphore 30 to drop into and be concealed by the shield 32. It will thus be seen that the crossing-alarm is actuated by a car approaching from either direction.

Vhen it is desired to use my device as a block-signal for sections of single-track elec tric railway, the use et' the gong-alarm, also the resistance 10, is dispensed with. As the trolley-wheel e of a car which is approaching a single-track section contacts with the pend-V 36 to the ground, extinguishing the lamp 31 and dropping the semaphore 30, indicating to an approaching motorneer that the tracksection is clear.

That portion of my invention which consists of the make-and-break-switch mechanism is separately shown, described, and claimed in another application for a patent therefor thisday executed by me.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic signal for electric railways, the combination with an electric generatorand a trolley-wire; of a frame, a swingblock pivoted in said frame having a slotted pendant adapted to sit astride of the trolleywire, and bearing contact-arms, a movable weight resting on said swing-block, insulated terminals adapted to be contacted respectively by said arms when said swing-block is moved suiciently in either direction, solenoids in circuit with said terminals having movable cores separately pivoted to a pivote'd cross-bar, conductors for carrying a current from the trolley-wire to said cross-bar, other conductors through which a branch circuit may be closed from said cross-bar to the lamp and signal-magnet, a signal-lamp and electromagnet controlling a semaphore situated at either end of a section of track in circuit with said trolley-wire, means for grounding the current from the solenoids and the signallamps and electromagnets, and trolley-actuated mechanism for elevating the swing-block, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an automatic signal for electric railways, the combination with an electric gen- IOO IIO

erator and a trolley-wire of a frame, a swingblock pivotally hungin said frame carrying antifriction-rollers in its upper part, bearingarms carrying antifriction contact rollers,

' and having akslotted pendant adapted to sit astride of the trolley-Wire, a movable Weight resting on said swing-block adapted to normally prevent contact between the arms thereof and the terminals, insulated terminals adapted to be contacted respectively by the antifriction-rollers on said arms when said swing-block is moved sufficiently in either direction, solenoids in circuit with said terminals, having movable cores separately pivoted to a pivoted cross-bar, conductors for carrying a current from the trolley-Wire to the said cross-bar, other conductors through which a branch circuit may` be closed from said cross-bar to the lamp and signal-magnet, a signal-lamp and electromagnet controlling a semaphore situated at either end of a section of trackin circuit with said trolley-wire, means for grounding the current from the solenoids, the signal-lamps and the electromagnets, and trolley-actuated mechanism for elevating the swing-block, substantially as shown and described.

' 8. In an automatic signal for electric rail-. Ways, the combination with an electric gen-A erator and a trolley-Wire; of a frame, aswingblock pivotally hung in said frame having a slotted pendant adapted to sit astride the trolley-wire, and having contact-arms, a mov# able Weight resting on said swing-block, insulated terminals adapted to be contacted respectively by said arms when said swingbloek is moved sufciently in either direction, solenoids in circuit with said terminals, having movable cores separately pivoted to a pivoted cross-bar, conductors for carryingV a current from the trolley-Wire to the said 'cross-bar, other conductors through Which CHARLES B. CAMPBELL.

l l/Vtnesses:

C. M. JENSEN, C. B. KENNEDY. 

